Witness Protection
by Lilac Moon
Summary: Prompt from Loboselinaistrash. She requested a pregnancy fic for Snowing. Modern AU. When Mary Margaret Blanchard walks in on a murder ordered by her father, she runs to the police. Captain Weaver put his two best detectives on the case, Rogers and Nolan. Mary goes into witness protection with Detective Nolan. It's his job to protect her, but will it become more? Prompts accepted.
1. Witness Protection

**Prompt from Loboselinaistrash. She requested a pregnancy fic for Snowing and I decided to do something a bit unconventional with it. This is a modern AU fic with Snowing as Detective David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard, daughter of a rich and powerful businessman, Leopold Blanchard. It also features Rogers, Weaver, and Roni.**

 **When Mary Margaret Blanchard walks in on a murder ordered by her father, she runs to the police. Captain Weaver put his two best detectives on the case, Rogers and Nolan. But Leopold is a powerful man and the evidence is destroyed. With her father after her, Mary goes into witness protection with Detective Nolan. It's his job to protect her, but will it become more? I will take prompts for this new verse too, though this one can be standalone as well. Enjoy and please consider leaving a review or prompt!**

 **This one is also Anti-Leopold.**

Witness Protection

Storybrooke. Like any small town in America really, they supposed. It would do for what they needed. They could and would have a good life here. The likelihood of being found here was minimal, but they would be ready at a moment's notice to run if they had to. They had spent their entire relationship so far being on the run, but they would do anything to be together. What they had...it was love and it was by no means easy, but they knew it was worth fighting for. They would never stop fighting for each other and if that meant running from her evil father for the rest of their lives, then it was exactly what they would do. It would get even harder in just a few months, due to her condition and the fact that there would soon be three of them, but nothing would stop them from being a family. Not even the powerful Leopold Blanchard.

"Do you think he'll find us here?" she asked, as he held her hand in his own.

"Maybe, but I don't care. He can't hurt us...he won't take you from me," he replied.

"Here it can just be us...and our baby," he added, as he put his hand on the swell of her stomach. She smiled, as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly. He put his arm around her and kissed her hair affectionately, as they slowly drove into this new town that would now be their home, never mind that they had already found home in each other. She twirled the ring on her finger and glanced over at him. Husband looked really good on him and she found herself wondering what father would look like on him. She grinned at that thought. Somehow she knew it would look just as good on him as husband did, if not better.

* * *

 ** _Two Years Ago_**

 ** _Seattle_**

Twenty-Two year old Mary Margaret Blanchard stood in the police station, still shellshocked at everything had occurred that evening. It was supposed to be a wonderful evening. Her father was throwing her a graduation party that night, as she had completed her education degree. He had always adored her and doted upon her, but as she grew up, she came to realize that he was not a good man. He was powerful and had many business dealings, some she often suspected were illegal. She didn't know exactly the things he was involved in and didn't want to know. She had stuck her head in the sand and forged on like nothing was wrong.

As she grew into her teens, she started to notice her father's eyes linger on her more and how he told her almost daily that she looked so much like her mother. His gazes became predatory, but still she had ignored all the warning signs. He was her father, after all.

Then there had been his rules. Mary was not allowed to date and she had thought he was just being an overprotective father, but when she defied him and went on a date with a young med student, he had shown up at the restaurant. He dragged her away that night and his bodyguards put the fear in her date that assured Mary would never hear from him again.

But nothing could prepare for what she walked in on his her childhood home that very night. She had arrived home early, which she didn't think anything of. It's not like the party was a surprise or anything. She would never get that image out of her head, as she watched one of her father's men put a bullet in a man that was on his knees, clearly begging for his life.

As the body fell to the floor with a thud, her father and his men stared at her and Leopold was quick to snap his fingers.

"Close the door," he ordered, as one of his bodyguards did as he requested.

"Mary, my dear...what are you doing here?" he questioned.

"This...this is my home," she stammered, as her eyes were still locked on the body.

"You are early...the party is not for a few more hours," he chided. She looked at him in disbelief. He had just ordered the murder of someone and watched them die. And now he was talking about parties?

"Father...what have you done?" she blurted out. But he put his hands on her arms, which made her skin crawl.

"He was a very bad man, my daughter," he admonished. But Mary was already screaming inside her own head, as he led her up to her bedroom.

"Don't worry...all traces of him will be gone before your party. Perhaps you'd like to relax in a bath before your guests arrive," he leered and she jumped, as his hands went to her waist. And what she saw in his eyes when she turned was a lustful stare that frightened her to her very core.

"Don't touch me…" she blurted out.

"You are my daughter, Mary. I must make sure you are okay after what you walked in on," he said, as he kept advancing, while she kept backing away.

"No...you want to make sure I don't tell anyone you just murdered someone! And you want to do things to me that a father should _never_ do to his daughter," she spat.

"Mary...you belong by my side, just as your mother did. Is it so wrong for a father to love his daughter so much as I do?" he questioned.

"Yes!" she said hotly.

"Fathers are not supposed to love their daughters this way," she protested.

"I am Leopold Blanchard, practically King of Seattle. You know that no one tells me no…" he warned, as she kept backing away.

"I always have what I want," he added and in a moment of pure clarity, she stopped seeing her father and saw a monster instead. It would be the thing that saved her that night, as she picked up a lamp and broke it over his head.

She ran then, even as her father's men chased her. She finally lost them in Hyperion Heights. It wasn't the best neighborhood, but Mary frequented a bar there where she had made friends with the owner.

"Mary?" Roni asked, as the young woman tumbled into her establishment. She was disheveled and her eyes were haunted, with tears pouring from them.

"Roni...help me…" she sobbed. The woman behind the bar stopped cleaning her glassware and rushed over to take the girl in her arms.

"What happened?" she questioned and with that, Mary blurted out everything that had just happened.

* * *

That was how she ended up in the Hyperion Heights precinct with Roni beside her. Captain Weaver gazed at her with scrutiny and she honestly had no idea what he found so interesting about her. But he seemed to look at everyone like that.

"We canvassed the whole bloody neighborhood. He's nowhere to be found," another detective said, as he entered the interrogation room.

"The body and any sign of the mess is gone too," another detective added. She looked up and her eyes managed to lock with his.

"So that's it...no body, no evidence...you can't arrest him," she realized.

"We can, but without a body, I'm not sure I can get the charges to stick...even if you were to testify," Weaver replied. She opened her mouth to respond, but surprisingly, it was the blonde detective that beat her to it.

"What? There was just a murder and that's it? We drop it?" he exclaimed.

"Mate…" his partner admonished.

"Don't mate me, Rogers! I may be a rookie...but this is wrong! She saw someone killed! Her own father tried to…" he trailed off, realizing that she was staring at him, like she was surprised he cared.

"I understand your frustration, Nolan. But this is Leopold Blanchard we're talking about. I bring these charges to a judge without a body and his legal team will laugh us right out of the courthouse," Weaver seethed, liking it no better than his young detectives.

"So...because he's some rich dickhead that practically owns the city, we're screwed?" the blonde growled.

"Yes…" Mary realized and everyone looked at her.

"He told me himself. He's practically a King in this city. He can do whatever he wants," she said brokenly.

"What about Mary?" Roni asked.

"I mean...that asshole tried to, well, you know…" Roni added.

"Yes...you are still in a lot of danger, Miss Blanchard. If your father gets his hands on you again, I daresay he'll either kill you for knowing too much or worse things I'm sure none of us want to think about," Weaver said bluntly. She swallowed thickly at that.

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked.

"You are definitely the key to bringing down your father and luckily, I'm going to put my two best detectives on it," Weaver replied.

"While Rogers is investigating him and trying to turn up a body...Nolan will be moving you into witness protection," he said. She looked at Nolan and then back at Weaver.

"So I'm getting a babysitter," she realized.

"I'm not a babysitter," he snapped in return, as they stared at each other.

"I have a safehouse in Portland. You both leave tonight," Weaver said.

* * *

There was a hug shared between Roni and Mary, while Rogers talked intensely with Nolan. The younger detective was taking it all in from his more experienced partner and soon, they were in the beat up old truck together.

"Is there a reason we're taking this clunker to Portland?" she questioned. He smirked.

"It's inconspicuous. No one is going to suspect a runaway Princess to be seen riding in something like this," he responded. She frowned.

"I'm not a Princess…" she protested. He shrugged.

"No offense, but you might as well be," he replied. She looked over at him, watching him, as he merged onto the interstate.

"So...do I call you Nolan?" she asked. He chuckled.

"That's my last name…" he replied. She rolled her eyes.

"I figured that," she said. He smiled.

"David…you can call me David," he replied, with a charming smile. She hummed at that and gazed out the window, as the scenery passed them by.

"So...you pretty much seem to know about me. Most people think they do since my father is who he is. But what about you?" she asked curiously. He shrugged.

"There's not much to tell. I grew up on a farm upstate with my mother. Father died when I was six. We were poor, but we got along well enough," he replied.

"I'm sorry...about your father," she said with genuine sympathy. But he only shrugged.

"Don't be...he was a drunk. We were probably better off," he said with a touch of bitterness.

"My mother died when I was ten...father changed a lot after that. Or at least, it seemed like he did. I don't know, maybe he was always a monster," she muttered sadly. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and carefully reached over to squeeze her hand. She looked down and then up at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, even from the profile view that she had.

"Whatever he's done or who he is...that's not on you. Once Rogers finds the body and he will, you can be free of him. We'll lock him up where he can't hurt you," he promised.

"Well, aren't you the optimist," she teased. He smirked.

"I prefer to call it faith," he responded.

"Faith?" she asked. He nodded.

"Faith that good will win...that love is more powerful than evil," he replied.

"That would be wonderful to believe that...but I'm not sure I can. I'm not sure good wins. I'm not sure love even exists...I think it's all arrangements and business transactions," she confessed. He looked at her and swallowed a response. He wanted to protest that, but realized that she was only going by her experience. That made him sad and he found himself wanting to prove her wrong. Maybe he could, though he could not realize just how much he would prove her wrong in that moment. Neither of them could imagine what the path they were now on would lead to.

* * *

Six months. Six months since they had come to Portland and began living or rather hiding out in the small cabin on the outskirts of the city. She didn't mind though. They had developed something of an amiable friendship and she found herself actually enjoying a quiet life. Things back home were intense, for her father had gone on national television to tell everyone that his darling daughter was missing and actually had the gall to plead with people to search for her and return her to him. The rumors about the real reason she had run swirled too and it was no secret that Leopold Blanchard was under investigation for a slew of crimes. But he was Leopold Blanchard and no one expected anything to come of Captain Weaver's investigation.

No, Mary had no desire to ever return to Seattle. She missed her friend Roni, but she did not miss her life under her father's thumb. She wanted a new life and she had come to realize that she could not see a new life that didn't have David in it.

It could never happen, of course. Even if she was dumb enough to fall for the detective that was protecting her, she knew it was unlikely that he felt the same. He was just doing his job, after all.

She looked over at him across the table and resisted the urge to snicker. He had a terrible poker face. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, after all, and that was true in poker as well. She could tell he had a good hand this time though. It was practically bursting from him.

"Call," he said smugly, as he put his cards down.

"Four Kings...there's no way you can beat that," he said, as he started sweeping the pile in the center of the table, which mostly consisted of skittles, tootsie rolls, spare change and gummy worms.

"Not so fast there, handsome," she said, as she revealed her cards. The look of shock on his face was entertaining.

"What...how?" he asked in disbelief.

"Royal flush...guess I'm just lucky," she replied, as she swept her winnings to her side and bit into one of the gummy worms.

"Better luck next hand," she said, as she started to shuffle. He shook his head.

"I don't even want to think about how much money I'd owe you if we were playing for real cash," he replied. She smirked.

"Yeah...I would definitely own your ass," she said bluntly and the look on his face clearly said that he would probably enjoy that. Before he could even think to entertain something like that, he heard something outside. He put his hand up to her, signaling her to be silent. She watched him draw his weapon and creep toward the door. Suddenly, something came through the window and the cabin started to fill with smoke.

He took her hand, as they coughed and the door burst open. David was disarmed and she screamed, as three men pounded their fists into him. They pulled both of them outside the cabin and forced David to his knees, while one of them held her with a vice-like grip. She recognized them as her father's men and saw the leader put his phone to his ear.

"We've got her, Sir," he informed.

" _Excellent...take her to the place we discussed,"_ Leopold responded in a pleased tone.

"What do you want us to do with the detective?" he asked.

" _Kill him,"_ Leopold said coldly, as the line went dead. The man's smirk sent a chill of fear down her spine.

"You might want to turn away, princess. This is about to get messy," he said, as he cocked his gun.

"No...please don't kill him!" she pleaded.

"Mary...you need to run," David begged her.

"I'm not leaving you," she said, as she shrugged away from one of their captors and sank to her knees in front of them.

"Make your goodbyes quick. Your father is very eager to get you back," the leader hissed.

"Listen to me...I can subdue them long enough for you to run," he whispered.

"And I told you I'm not leaving you...they're going to kill you," she hissed back.

"And I'm okay with dying if it means you're safe. So go…" he pleaded.

"Why? Why would you die for me? Because it's your job?" she asked, saying the last part with bitterness.

"Oh, I think you know that this stopped being just my job a while ago," he replied, as they stared into each other's eyes. The look on her face was utterly broken, as she tenderly caressed his face.

"I...I think I've loved you since the moment I first saw you," she confessed.

"And I'll love you till my last," he confessed in return. Tears slipped down her cheeks, as she pressed her lips to his and oh...the love she felt flow so effortlessly between them was overwhelming. How could it end like this?

"Okay...that's enough goodbyes," one of the men spat, as he pulled them apart. Mary couldn't let him die though, not when she had finally found him. He was everything she had ever hoped for and thought she'd never have. And she'd be damned if she was going to lose him now. With that thought, she jammed her knee into the gut of the one that had pulled her away. David took full advantage of their surprise and knocked his head back into the nose of the one of his right, breaking it. He held his nose, as blood gushed down his face and he decked the third one. Finally the leader got him in a headlock, but he jammed his elbow into his gut, reversing their positions and though he didn't kill lightly, he ended this man by jerking his neck to the side. They didn't waste any time and wait for the others to recover and ran to the truck. He drove them along the dirt path in the woods for several miles, until he parked and they got out, taking to the woods on foot.

"Weaver has another cabin around here...it's only a few miles," he said, as they ran through the woods. The sky opened up on them and downpoured. They were soaked, but the rain would wash away any tire tracks or footprints. They would be safe again for a while.

He pulled her along and they finally found the cabin, before hurrying inside.

"Is it weird that Weaver has all these cabins all over the woods?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, it's weird, but that's Weaver," he replied with a chuckle.

"I'll get a fire going," he said, as he loaded wood into the fireplace and used some lighter fluid to get it going. The cabin was soon filled with an orange glow, as lightning flashed outside with the raging storm.

"I almost lost you…" she said, choking on the words.

"But you saved me instead," he replied, as their lips met again, this time passionately and deeply, as their arms went around each other.

"We need to get out of these wet clothes," he mentioned.

"Mmm...I was thinking the same thing," she answered.

"I...I can turn around while you...and there's blankets," he stammered, but she pulled him by the collar and kissed him again.

"Or you could just undress me while I undress you…" she replied. He swallowed the lump in his throat and kissed her again. Their jackets were first and quickly followed by shirts. She bit her bottom lip, as she divested him of his soaked undershirt and let her eyes drink in his bare flesh. His eyes were locked on her chest as well, as her breasts were only hidden from him by her bra now. Hands continued to roam and divest clothing until there was nothing but skin between them and they were one, making love by the fire over and over again, until they were spent and boneless.

The fire crackled, as morning dawned and they still lay sated and entangled together beneath the blankets, his hand stroking her naked back and her head resting atop his muscled chest. What had started as just a job for him and a nightmare for her had become so much more. They were in love and in some ways, it made everything so much more complicated. But it was a complicated that they wouldn't change for anything.

* * *

The danger they faced was far from over, as the months continued to pass. David and Mary Margaret moved around the country to different safe houses, never staying in one place more than a month. Her father had not given up and had hired some of the best bounty hunters in the world to track them down. So far though, they remained one step ahead.

Rogers finally found the body after several times in dragging the river. But any physical evidence there might have been was washed away, leaving them with nothing still. With nearly nothing to tie Leopold to the death of this unknown man, the charges were dismissed by a judge and the case was considered closed. Her father was going to get away with murder and she would have to continue running. But she could accept that since she was running with the man she loved.

"This isn't a life, you know. Do you realize you could be on the run with me for the rest of your life?" she asked him one day, as they cuddled beneath the bedclothes. They were holed up in another safe house and as usual, their hunger for each other had led to some very passionate lovemaking. He kissed her bare shoulder.

"There is no life for me without you," he answered.

"I'll be a happy man, even if being with you means running for the rest of our lives. You're all I need or want," he replied. She kissed him again at that and she knew nothing else but pure pleasure again when he sank into her depths and loved her again and again.

As it would turn out, there would be one more thing he would realize he needed and wanted, even as unexpected as it would come.

* * *

He looked to her with worry, as she came out of the bathroom in their latest hideaway a few months later. She had been getting sick lately and he was worried about her.

"That's it...I think it's time to find a doctor. I don't care how risky it is," he said.

"I...I think I know what's wrong or rather what's going on," she replied, looking at him with a mixture of fear and awe.

"What is it?" he asked, as he went to her side.

"I haven't had my cycle for months…" she told him and realization started to dawn in his eyes.

"Are you…" he started to say. She nodded.

"I think I'm pregnant," she revealed. She watched the shock on his face slowly spread into a grin. She yelped, as he picked her up and spun her around.

"That's wonderful...a baby…" he breathed in awe, as he put his hands on her belly.

"But David...our lives are not stable! We're always on the run! How can we bring a baby into this? When my father finds out...he'll just hire more people to hunt us down!" she cried, as she teared up.

"Hey...we'll figure this out. We'll find a place where he won't find us and we'll make a life there for us and...our baby," he said, grinning from ear to ear. His smile was contagious and she grinned back.

"There is one thing I want to do…" he said, as he took a ring out of his pocket and she gasped.

"This was my mother's. She gave it to me on her deathbed and told me that true love follows this ring," he told her.

"She was right, because I met you two weeks later," he said.

"David...you don't _have_ to marry me just because I'm pregnant," she replied. But he only grinned.

"I've been wanting to propose to your for weeks...I just was waiting for the right time. This feels like it. I'm not marrying you, because you're pregnant, Mary Margaret. I'd like to marry you, because I love you," he said, as he got down on one knee.

"So...will you marry me?" he asked. She grinned and held out her hand for him.

"What do you think?" she asked, as he slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up and took her in his arms, as their lips met again.

* * *

Unfortunately, just a couple hours later, they would be forced to flee again to escape another bounty hunter. That night, they slept in the truck, after he parked it in a corn field. They were somewhere in the midwest and there wasn't a soul around. It was a warm summer night and they lay in the bed of the truck on blankets, making love under the stars. As they lay entangled together, with her hand idly tracing lines on his chest, he kissed her hair.

"I talked to Rogers earlier," he mentioned. She pressed a kiss to his chest.

"I know...what did he say?" she asked, as she felt his hand on the small of her back.

"He thinks he found a place where we won't be found...or rather Weaver did. He said that town is really small and kind of hidden in the woods. It's so off the beaten path that it doesn't really get visitors," he mentioned.

"Where is it?" she asked eagerly.

"Maine...so we'll be on the road for a few days. But then we might not have to run anymore. The town is small, but there is a hospital and a school. They need a new fifth grade teacher and Weaver said there's a job as deputy to the Sheriff. It's mine if I want it," he mentioned, as he kissed her neck.

"You really think we won't have to run?" she asked, daring to hope.

"Weaver's usually right and he says your father is eventually going to slip up. He's going to get him, my love," he promised. Was it too much to hope for? A new life with her soon to be husband? A new baby, a new job, and no more running? Were they really that close to having everything they wanted? She knew nothing was ever for sure, but she was ready to risk it all with him.

"I think Maine sounds nice," she said, as they kissed again beneath the stars and became lost again in each other.

* * *

The trip to Maine took a few days. They picked up their new identities that Weaver had sent to a pawn shop somewhere in Missouri. They were now David and Mary Swan with a marriage license and all the necessary papers for a new life. They felt the need to exchange vows, so they did so to each other one evening, somewhere in Pennsylvania. And then they found a decent motel to spend their wedding night in. They had traipsed across the country like bandits; bandits in love and the elusive freedom they sought was almost in reach, as they crossed the town line with a sign reading "Entering Storybrooke". Storybrooke. It sounded incredibly quaint and perfectly boring. And somehow, Mary knew they were going to love it there. She gazed out the window of the truck, as they pulled into town. There was a clocktower with a library below, a lake with ducks, a castle shaped playground, and a quaint diner slash bed and breakfast right on Main street. Yes...Storybrooke would be the perfect place to raise their baby and live their lives beyond the reach of her evil father.

There was no need to stay at the bed and breakfast, for Weaver had arranged the rent on a loft apartment for them. The moment they entered, it instantly felt like home. Of course, it helped that the apartment had been filled with baby things from Rogers, Roni, and Weaver. A crib with the most gorgeous crystal unicorn mobile hanging above it and everything else their baby would need. Oh, how she hoped Leopold never found them here, for she just knew she couldn't wait to live the rest of her life here with her husband and their child. She knew life was never that simple and she knew someday they might have to run again. But for now, she had hope that they had found their happy ending, which really wasn't an ending at all. For a new life and a new baby meant for new beginnings. And while she hoped for safety, she knew she no longer had to hope for love. She had found love, the kind of love that would last a lifetime and beyond. She realized at that moment that it didn't matter what they might face in the future, for they could face all of that with what they had and that was eternal love...


	2. All I'll Ever Want or Need

**AN: Thanks for the great response to this fic! Keep the reviews coming and feel free to submit a prompt! Enjoy this next installment. Here are individual responses:**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Prompts welcome.**

 **Baratta Jennifer: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Guest: Thanks, glad you liked it! The premise did make for kind of the perfect modern Au to adapt Snowing's story, so I was glad I was able to adapt some things from their fairytale. Yes, you can prompt for David's POV. I will include some of that in the next chapter. It will compliment the present day events that are about to happen very well.**

 **Austenphile: Glad you liked it!**

 **SecretLoveCara: Aw, thanks, so glad you like my writing!**

 **Bwayrox: Thanks, yeah I never really paid Leopold much mind until season 3 and we found out that he was once in love with Cora. So marrying Regina just made him super creepy at that point, especially when you look at his possessiveness with Regina in 1x11. There's no reason to think he wouldn't be the same with Snow and not want to "lose" her like he left Eva. Hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Thanks! Glad you like it! Yeah, I thought using the Hyperion Heights personalities made sense in a modern AU. I know, I love the idea of Nolan and Rogers as detective partners. Yeah, Leopold is pretty evil and creepy here. You're right, Mary ended up liking this babysitter, lol. Yep, all the Snowing love and she's pregnant...here comes Emma. Glad you're enjoying!**

Witness Protection

 **Chapter 2: All I'll Ever Want or Need**

Leopold Blanchard looked through the various photos, each captured at different times, of his daughter and the man that was protecting her. At least that was what it had started as. But as he looked through the photos, each one after another, they got more intimate. First, it was just his arm around her shoulders or her hand on his chest. Then it was her in his arms and their lips locked. It would seem, if the reports from the bounty hunters were correct, that his daughter and her detective were lovers now. It made him livid, especially when he received the most recent photo. It was taken just weeks ago, just before the trail on them had gone completely cold. Again, Mary was in his arms and there was an unmistakable swell to her stomach. There was no question, especially since his hand was resting on the bump. His daughter was pregnant and they had seemingly managed to disappear. This time, none of the expensive bounty hunters were turning up anything on them and angrily tossed the photos down on his desk, sending them scattering across it.

"This is not over, daughter…" he growled.

* * *

"So...how is everything back there?" Mary asked, as she spooned another bite of ice cream into her mouth, while cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder.

" _Oh, you know Hyperion Heights...still pretty much the same, except Victoria Belfry is trying to get me to sell the bar to her,"_ Roni replied.

"Why does Victoria Belfry want to buy the bar?" Mary wondered.

" _Well...she's trying to buy up this whole damn neighborhood. For what purpose, no one is sure. But there are whispers…"_ Roni said, trailing off.

"What kind of whispers?" Mary asked.

" _That there is a merger in the works. Between Belfry Industries and Blanchard Enterprises,"_ Roni replied.

"My father is going to merge with Belfry Industries?" Mary asked in disbelief.

" _I think it's more like he's acquiring her company. To what end, no one really knows,"_ Roni answered. Mary sighed.

"He's still looking for me too...I was hoping he would give up," she said.

" _Your father believes he is entitled to have whatever he wants, like some kind of evil King. He isn't going to stop. Fortunately, Weaver is certain that he won't find where you are this time,"_ Roni said.

"I hope not...we actually really like it here," Mary mentioned.

" _Mary Margaret Blanchard as a small town schoolteacher...I'm sure it suits you,"_ Roni said fondly. She smiled.

"It does...and David really likes his job. He gets along really well with Sheriff Graham...and then there's the little cupcake," she gushed, as she stroked her swollen belly.

" _I'm so happy for you both. Do you know what it is yet?"_ Roni asked.

"No...we decided we want to be surprised, but I'm pretty sure it's a girl. David thinks it's a boy, but he's wrong," she replied fondly, as she finished off the carton of ice cream.

" _Mother's intuition?" Roni asked._

"Something like that," Mary replied, as she heard the apartment door open and smiled at her husband. He smiled back at her, as he hung his coat up, took his shoes off and took off his holster. She bit her bottom lip, as she watched him. She really liked the way he looked in that holster.

" _Hello...Mary?"_ Roni called into the phone.

"Huh...oh sorry," she apologized.

" _Yeah, something tells me David is home if your sudden preoccupation is anything to go by,"_ Roni teased.

"Yeah...sorry, but I can't help it. He just looks _so_ good in that holster," she mentioned.

" _Okay then...definitely my cue to sign off,"_ Roni joked. Mary smiled.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she promised, as she hung up the phone, just as David leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I see our little one has been wanting ice cream again," he teased. She bit her bottom lip and gazed up at him with a dreamy stare.

"I don't know what to say...she loves rocky road. I ate our entire supply again," Mary replied. He chuckled and held up held up a sack, filled with two more cartons of ice cream.

"Good thing I knew I needed to replenish our stock. We can't have our little Prince wanting for anything," he said, as he put it in the freezer.

"Princess…" she corrected.

"Either way...I can't wait to meet him or her," he replied, as he kissed her again. She sighed and watched him make his way behind the curtain where their bedroom was. She often thought about the direction their lives had taken. Just two years ago, she had just graduated college and was ready to find a teaching job. That part of her life had been accomplished, as she loved her job at Storybrooke Elementary. But she hadn't even been entertaining the possibility of a relationship, let alone finding true love. She wondered if he thought about their path.

"Baby...you okay?" he murmured, as he put his arms around her from behind, instinctively resting them on the swell of her stomach.

"Mmm...did you ever imagine this is where we would end up when Weaver assigned you to protect me?" she asked curiously.

"Not exactly...but I certainly wouldn't change it for anything," he replied. She cocked her head to the side, as she looked at him.

"You almost died because of me," she reminded.

"No, I almost died _for_ you...there's a significant difference," he corrected. She parted her lips, as she gazed up at him.

"But this couldn't have been where you saw your life going when you became a cop," Mary said. He shrugged.

"Does anyone ever really end up exactly where they expect?" he asked in return.

" _Happy endings aren't always what we expect they will be,"_ she remembered her mother saying once.

"But you were an up and coming detective...in a very large city. I know from what Roni told me that Weaver doesn't just idly pick people for his team. He must have seen something in you to fast track you from beat cop to detective," she replied. He shrugged again.

"I don't know...most of the other detectives are always either sucking up to him or scared of him. But none of that is really my style...I think he likes that," David explained.

"I'm sure he does...but I don't think you're getting what I'm saying. David...you gave up what could have been an incredible career. You probably would have made Captain in no time," she responded. He smiled.

"Maybe...but I didn't really become a cop to climb the ranks and soak in the glory. I became a cop to help people and make a difference. But it was never really my dream," he explained.

"What was?" she asked curiously. He smiled at her and put his hand on her stomach again.

"I always knew that I wanted love...real love and family. You're that dream, Mary...you and our little one. You are a dream that became my reality, so don't think even for a second I would trade this for some job or career. Because this…" he said, as he caressed the place where their child was growling and then cupped her beautiful face in his hand.

"This is everything that I ever wanted and more than I ever thought I'd find," he added. Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him fiercely. He breathed her in and held her flush against him.

"I love you…" he said. She smiled.

"And I love you…" she replied, as he kissed her tenderly. She moaned and broke the kiss though, as she held her stomach.

"Oh…" she said, as she felt a contraction.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern. She nodded.

"Just a contraction...they've been off and on today, but pretty far apart," she replied, not really concerned. Until she had a stronger one.

"Ohhh…" she cried and then felt a wetness between her legs.

"Oh God David...I think my water just broke…" she cried.


	3. Her Name is Emma

**AN: Thanks for all the great reviews! Prompts are open for this one too! This chapter picks up directly after that last one and Mary is in labor. David reflects on starting out as her protector and falling in love with her, as they welcome their baby girl into the world.**

 **Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Baratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Yep, Emma is coming!**

 **Guest: Here's an update! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Austenphile: Yep, here comes Emma! Yeah, Leopold and Victoria would make quite a pair, you're right.**

 **James maddalo: Yep, here's an update. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yes, Mary is in labor and Emma is on the way! I hope Leopold doesn't find them too. And yes, I believe we will eventually see Graham and David sheriffing together. Yes, I think a merger of those companies would be bad for all involved. Glad you like the mesh of Storybrooke and Hyperion Heights. I know, I love flirty Snowing too. :)**

Witness Protection

Chapter 3: Her Name is Emma

Having called ahead, the hospital staff had a wheelchair ready for his wife the moment they pulled up. She cried out in pain, as another contraction hit and he pushed her through the doors, just as Dr. Whale arrived. He really didn't much care for the man or his bedside manner for that matter. But he was the lead doctor and surgeon and the best their small town had to offer. Mary didn't care much for him either, as he was always a bit on the creepy side, but at the moment, Whale was who they had to depend upon to bring their baby into the world.

" _He told me I had a strong placenta, which I guess is a good thing, but it came off creepy,"_ he remembered Mary telling Roni over the phone one day. Yeah, if he had to pick a person that he didn't really want between his wife's legs...it was this guy. But again, there wasn't a lot of choice right now.

"Right this way...we have a delivery room ready for you," Whale told him, as he pushed her into the room. He didn't wait for the orderlies and lifted his wife into his arms, before putting her on the bed, which seemed to annoy Whale, but he would be damned if he was going to leave her side in that moment.

"David…" she cried out and he clutched her hand, before pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I'm here, my darling...I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

"I love you…" she uttered and he smiled.

"And I love you," he said, recalling all they had been through up to this moment. He recalled those first few weeks together and the moment when he realized he was in love with her. How he had scolded himself for falling for the woman he was protecting, thinking it could never be. He recalled making love to her for the first time and the night they exchanged vows. He recalled every moment with her and now they were here in this moment, welcoming their first child into the world. He knew her father hadn't given up on finding them, but in that moment, he knew he'd be damned if he ever let that man anywhere near her or their child.

"You're sufficiently dilated. It's time to start pushing," Whale announced. David clutched her hand and she squeezed it, as another contraction hit her.

* * *

 _ **Eighteen Months Ago**_

 _David was awakened in the dead of night by a scream of terror. He jumped out of bed, shirtless, and grabbed his gun. He burst into Mary's room, ready to fire on whatever intruder he found. But instead, he only found a frightened and sobbing Mary in her bed._

" _I'm sorry…It was just a nightmare," she cried. He relaxed and put the gun down._

" _It's okay...are you okay?" he asked, though she clearly wasn't, for she was trembling almost violently._

" _It was just so real...I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my head," she replied. He nodded._

" _The body," he realized and she looked up at him in surprise._

" _I'm a cop...I remember the first time I saw a real dead body. It doesn't matter how much training they put you through for it...it still leaves a mark," he replied. She sniffed._

" _I knew my father wasn't a very good man...but when he was looking at that man before he saw me, the look in his eyes was terrifying. It was so evil…" she shuddered. He cautiously put his hand on her shoulder. She had grown up rich and he had grown up very poor, but it was clear that having money had not saved her from the evils of the world. This was no spoiled Princess like he thought she might be. Perhaps at one time she had been, but her father's evil had stripped more than just her innocence._

" _What he's done and what he tried to do to you...no one should have to go through that. I'm here to protect you though and make sure he doesn't try to finish what he started," he promised. She nodded and he was surprised when she rested her head against his shoulder._

" _That happened in the nightmare too...he finished what he started," she squeaked._

" _I figured by the way you're frightened," he responded, as he got up and she looked at him questioningly._

" _Come on...I'll make you some tea," he suggested, as he offered his hand to her. She took it and he tried not to notice how her nightgown clung to her curves, just as she tried not to notice his shirtless state and how incredibly attractive he was._

" _I used to make my mother tea. She would have nightmares a lot after my father died. He was drinking one night and ran his car right off a bridge," he replied, a little bitterly._

" _I'm sorry...that's terrible," she offered, as he put the water on the stove. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing not for the first time just how beautiful she was. But he scolded himself internally. In the short time that he had been protecting her, he had come to care about her and couldn't believe he was falling into that trap already. He couldn't fall in love with her. Not only was it against the rules and result in getting himself reassigned, he doubted she'd ever see him that way. The water boiled and he served the tea, as he sat down across from her. They quietly sipped at their tea together, as they both secretly wrestled with their growing feelings._

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

Mary screamed in pain, as another contraction stormed through her. The nurse had provided David with a cool cloth, which he dabbed on her forehead.

"The head is crowning. The next couple pushes will be really big, but then it will be all over," Whale instructed. Mary looked at him and he gazed back, as the love passed between them.

"She's almost here…" she murmured. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Still insisting it's a girl?" he teased.

"Mmm...I know it is. Mother's intuition," she responded.

"You know if we have a little Princess that I'm doomed, right?" he teased and she giggled.

"She'll have you wrapped around her pinky the moment she looks at you," she mentioned.

"Like her mother," he agreed, as another contraction hit and she screamed, as she pushed again.

* * *

 _ **Sixteen months ago**_

" _So...in other words, we're back to square one," David said, as he talked to Rogers on the phone._

" _I'm sorry mate...we just can't seem to keep witnesses alive. Leopold Blanchard has the deepest pockets in this city. Anyone that knows anything either won't talk or ends up dead or missing," Rogers replied. David sighed._

" _I know...but as long as I can keep him from getting to Mary, that's what matters," he said, not realizing the slip until it was too late._

" _Oh really? You sound like you've gotten cozy," Rogers said, as David could hear the amusement in his voice._

" _Stop it...it's not like that," David protested._

" _Uh huh...but you'd like it to be," Rogers said knowingly._

" _No...I want to protect her, because her father is a sick man," David refuted._

" _Easy mate...it's only natural that you're starting to feel something for her. She's beautiful, kind, and you spend a lot of time with her. I daresay if it were me, I'd certainly be falling for the fair Miss Blanchard as well. I'd certainly make my move," Rogers teased._

" _Hey...you most certainly wouldn't make a move! She's not just some conquest...she deserves more than that," he said angrily and Rogers chuckled._

" _Easy mate...just proving my point to you, but it's worse than I thought," Rogers mentioned. David rolled his eyes._

" _What are you talking about?" he demanded to know._

" _You're in love, mate," Rogers said._

" _I am not!" David protested, but Rogers only laughed._

" _You are...you are head over heels for her and in deep shit, mate," his partner countered. David sighed._

" _You going to tattle on me and get me reassigned?" he asked worriedly._

" _Hell no...we're partners and Detective Rogers is no sell out, you know that. Besides, I daresay I'd not trust anyone to protect her more than a man that loves her," Rogers replied._

" _What the hell am I going to do?" he asked, a bit of fear in his voice._

" _Tell her," Rogers advised._

" _I can't do that...what if she doesn't feel the same? Then things will be weird between us," he replied._

" _Fine...do things the hard way and suffer in silence then. But I think you need to ask yourself a very important question," Rogers said._

" _And what's that?" David asked._

" _What if she does feel the same?" he asked._

* * *

Mary screamed in pain and then fell back against him, as he dabbed her forehead again.

"We're almost there," Whale said.

"I'm so tired…" Mary cried and he kissed her forehead.

"I know, my darling...but one more push and our little Princess is here…" he soothed.

"I love you…" she uttered tearfully. He kissed her.

"I love you…" he said, as she bared down for the final push and screamed, as another contraction slammed into her.

* * *

 _Mary lay sated and half atop him, as they bathed in the afterglow of lovemaking in front of the crackling fire. She looked up at him, green eyes full of love, and his blue eyes shined back with the same. After the harrowing ordeal with her father's men finding them, confessions of love came and then naturally the need to express that love physically came next._

" _I love you...and I almost didn't get to tell you…" she whispered._

" _Mmm...I know. I love you too and we made it," he replied, as he pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss._

" _He's going to come after you...even if those men didn't live to tell him, he's going to find out about us. He'll want you dead," Mary fretted, referring to her father._

" _I don't care...I'll never let him touch you or take you from me," he promised fiercely._

" _Being with me possibly means running for the rest of our lives," she warned._

" _And being without you is no life I want," he replied. She cuddled against him and shivered, as his hand slid along her naked back._

" _What about Weaver? If he finds out...won't he reassign you?" she wondered._

" _I don't know...Weaver is hard to read and even if he does, I'll quit. I'm not leaving you or trusting someone else with your life," he told her. She looked into his eyes and nodded._

" _Me either," she agreed._

" _Besides, Rogers already knows and he hasn't said anything. And he won't," he replied._

" _Rogers knows?" she asked in surprise. He winced._

" _He kind of guessed...he knows me pretty well. I've kind of been in love with you for a while," he confessed. She tilted her head to the side._

" _How long is a while?" she asked curiously._

" _Probably since you first walked into the station that night. Of course, I was in denial and then Rogers pointed it out to me a few months ago. Then there was some more denial," he replied. She grinned and kissed him soundly._

" _What about you?" he asked curiously. She smiled and bit her bottom lip._

" _Probably from the beginning too...I don't know, I just felt a connection with you. But I think I knew for sure that first night I had a nightmare and you comforted me," she replied. He kissed her hair. He couldn't promise her that she wouldn't have any more nightmares, but he could promise that he would be there to hold her after._

" _I think we might have been the last ones to know. Roni was pretty insistent that I was in love with you long before I admitted it to myself," she mentioned. He chuckled._

" _We're quite a pair," he quipped._

" _We are...all those months that we could have been doing...this…" she purred, as she kissed his neck. He shuddered at her ministrations and she gasped, as his hands wandered. She looked up and he smirked._

" _Guess we could always make up for lost time," he suggested. She giggled, as he rolled her onto her back and then her giggles became cries of passion…_

* * *

A cry pierced the air, as the doctor cradled their newborn and the nurses quickly cleaned her off. Mary and David stared in awe, at the tiny, wriggling baby.

"Congratulations...it is indeed a girl," Whale announced, as the nurse placed her in Mary's arms.

"David…" she choked out, as she looked at his face, as he continued to stare at their baby in awe.

"She's perfect…" he uttered and Mary sniffed, as more tears escaped her eyes.

"Do you have a name picked out?" the nurse asked. They had discussed a few names here and there, for both genders, but hadn't nailed anything down. But at that moment, her name simply came to Mary and she blurted it out.

"Emma…" she said and he looked at her. A grin spread on his face.

"Emma…" he agreed, as she beamed at him and then looked at the nurse.

"Her name is Emma," Mary told her. David smiled at her and kissed her tenderly, before pressing a kiss to their new baby girl's forehead. At that moment, he couldn't imagine being happier...


	4. Hidden in Bliss

**Sorry for the long wait on updates for this one. I'm hoping to get more frequent updates on my smaller stories going forward. I had a tiny bit of writer's block on this one too, but I think I've worked that out. Hope you enjoy and please consider leaving a review. They really are appreciated and help immensely with motivation. Here are individual responses to reviews:**

 **Jennifer Baratta: Yep, Leopold is a creep and even more so in this next chapter. Glad you're enjoying. :)**

 **Bwayrox: So glad you enjoyed it and hope you continue to! :)**

 **sexystarwarslover: Yep, Emma is here and they're an adorable little family! Yep, Whale is conveniently always a doctor and always creepy too. I know, I liked that flashback too and David being shirtless. I can't help myself. Yep, Leopold is still giving her nightmares and I'm afraid he's still a very big problem. Yep, David is totally screwed. Emma already has him wrapped around her pinky. I LOVE Daddy Charming too. I love the Rogers and Nolan bromance too. Hope you continue to enjoy! :)**

 **Grace5231973: So glad you like it! It is very sweet and a romantic story and I hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Glad you like it.**

 **Austenphile: Yep, Emma is here! Yeah, the other shoe is definitely going to drop, but I think it a not so predictable way maybe? You'll understand as you read. :)**

 **Guest: Yes, it was a very heartwarming chapter. Glad the flashbacks worked seamlessly and that you enjoy David's POV. Hopefully some happy times are to come, but probably not without some drama. Hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **TheInferno: I disagree. The story is not rushed. It's just a different type of story than Finding You Always and Dreaming Out Loud. It's this way intentionally, but you're entitled to your opinion.**

 **James Maddalo: Glad you enjoy it. :)**

Witness Protection

Chapter 4: Hidden in Bliss

Mary Margaret smiled at the wonder on her student's faces, as the tiny blue bird perched itself on her finger. For as long as she could remember, she had always had an affinity for birds. Other children always thought she was the weird bird girl, but then she had always known she was different from other people. Her father was a monster and she had somehow escaped him. She and her husband would likely have to be in witness protection for the rest of their lives, but that was fine with her, as long as she could be with the love of her life and their baby.

To the town, they were David and Mary Margaret Swan, newlyweds that had come to them almost two years ago now, just married and pregnant, though the people had taken to calling her Margaret. Margaret taught fourth grade and David was Sheriff Graham's new deputy. They fit in famously well with most of the townspeople, becoming quick friends with Archie Hopper, the town therapist, Ruby Lucas, who had become their best friend, along with her Granny that owned the diner and Inn, and two couples, Fred and Abigail Midas, as well as Lance and Gwen Knight. Most everyone had been very welcoming to this young couple with a baby joining their community. All except the Mayor, Fiona Gold, who seemed to loathe them from day one. She had tried to protest Graham's hiring of David as his deputy, even though her husband came with an impressive record as a detective in Seattle. And she hadn't liked the school hiring Margaret either. Granny had explained that the Mayor didn't like outsiders in her town. Which seemed a bit weird and as a cop, it made David naturally wonder just what the Mayor might be hiding. Despite her though, they loved their new home and hoped they weren't found and forced to leave it.

They still kept in close contact with Roni and Rogers back in Seattle and much had changed there in the last two years as well. After having a one night stand with a woman named Eloise shortly after they left town, Rogers was surprised about a year ago with a baby outside his apartment. Eloise left a note saying that it was his daughter and she didn't want to care for her. And though he was in shock, Rogers took his child in and instantly fell in love with her, vowing not to fail her where her mother had. His little girl's name was Alice and she was only about a year younger than Emma and Roni adored Alice as much as her father. It made Mary Margaret hope that they could be reunited with their friends someday. For now, they were content and grateful that they had been able to stay in this new home for as long as they had. And they hoped it continued, for this small town was proving to be the perfect place to raise their baby.

She gently let the bird out the window and it flew to the bird feeder just outside. Her students marveled at that, just as the bell rang and they filed out. She watched them leave fondly and then started picking up for the day. She loved their life in this town, but in the back of her mind, she wondered how long it could last. It scared her, for it was one thing for her and David to be on the run, but to have to take Emma into that sort of life was another entirely. She prayed everyday that they wouldn't be found and though threats from her father had seemingly gone quiet in the last couple years, she and David hadn't let their guard down. As much as she hated it, she knew her father was still looking for her and she knew that he knew she had a child with David too. She shuddered to think about how he still wanted to destroy the beautiful life they had created together. But all her fears and worries melted away momentarily at the sound of a little voice.

"Mommy!" Emma called, as David let her down and she toddled to her mother.

"There's my munchkin," she cooed, as she scooped her up, as her husband walked toward them and kissed her tenderly.

"You're off early," she mentioned, as she was usually the one to pick up Emma from daycare.

"The perks of living in a small, quiet town," he replied, as he dropped a kiss on Emma's head too.

"Show Mommy what you made in daycare," he reminded, as Emma showed her the piece of purple construction paper she was carrying. Mary Margaret gasped.

"Oh sweetheart...it's so beautiful," she praised her daughter's drawing, which included a sun with a rainbow in the sky and three stick figures, which represented their family.

"We'll put it on the fridge when we get home," she promised, as she kissed her hair. She then got her things and joined hands with her husband, as they left her classroom.

"How about Granny's?" she proposed.

"Yay!" Emma cheered. David smiled.

"Sounds great to me," he agreed, as they strolled out to the car, unaware that someone watch watching and snapping pictures of them.

* * *

 _ **Seattle**_

Leopold looked up from his desk, as his head of security, Rivers, walked into his office.

"More photos just in from our contact," he said, offering the file folder to his boss. Leopold opened it and looked through them. It was much of the same as the rest of the photos taken over the past two weeks. Finally, after two years, he had found his daughter. But this time, he was taking a bit of a different approach.

"Boss...we know where they are, but you haven't issued any orders yet," Rivers stated.

"Because somehow Weaver is always one step ahead and manages to get them out before we can get to them. Plus...as much as I hate admitting it, my daughter's husband has been proven to be quite formidable, especially when it comes to taking what is mine. So this time...I'm taking another approach," he said, as he picked up the phone.

"Fuel the jet and standby," he told his pilot.

"So we're taking the jet there?" Rivers asked.

"No...because the moment my jet takes off, Weaver will somehow get our flight plan and warn them. So we're going to let him by sending the jet off to Los Angeles on a business trip," Leopold stated.

"Meanwhile, I have a first class ticket under an alias to Portland, Maine. And from there, it's a mere two hour driver to...Storybrooke. I'm going to visit my lovely daughter like any good father," he added.

"Alone Sir?" Rivers asked skeptically.

"Yes...after all, what threat does an old man like me pose to anyone?" Leopold asked. Rivers smirked, as he got exactly where he was going with this.

"That's...ingenious. I guess that's why you're the billionaire," Rivers complimented. Leopold smirked deviously, finished his drink, and left to prepare for his trip.

* * *

Mary Margaret bit her bottom lip and smiled indulgently, as she watched her husband feed their daughter bites of ice cream. And she felt her heart flutter when they smiled at each other with the exact same smile. David looked up to see her gazing at them with a dreamy stare and smiled at her too.

"What?" he asked.

"Just staring at the loves of my life," she answered. She never imagined falling in love and then when she did, she hadn't imagined actually having a baby. She couldn't believe that it was just four years ago when she walked into her father's living room and witnessed his men putting a bullet into a man's head. A man that had been on his knees, begging for his life. It had shocked her to the core and changed her life forever.

* * *

 _As the body fell to the floor with a thud, her father and his men stared at her and Leopold was quick to snap his fingers._

 _"Close the door," he ordered, as one of his bodyguards did as he requested._

 _"Mary, my dear...what are you doing here?" he questioned._

 _"This...this is my home," she stammered, as her eyes were still locked on the body._

 _"You are early...the party is not for a few more hours," he chided. She looked at him in disbelief. He had just ordered the murder of someone and watched them die. And now he was talking about parties?_

 _"Father...what have you done?" she blurted out. But he put his hands on her arms, which made her skin crawl._

 _"He was a very bad man, my daughter," he admonished._

* * *

But she knew better. She knew that it was her father that was the bad man. She had just been sheltered from his evil before that moment. And what had happened next was one of those make or break moments that defined a person's life. Had she not made a move to escape that night, her life would have turned out very differently. She would have been trapped in her father's web of evil and become his victim in the most horrifying ways.

* * *

 _"Don't worry...all traces of him will be gone before your party. Perhaps you'd like to relax in a bath before your guests arrive," he leered and she jumped, as his hands went to her waist. And what she saw in his eyes when she turned was a lustful stare that frightened her to her very core._

 _"Don't touch me…" she blurted out._

 _"You are my daughter, Mary. I must make sure you are okay after what you walked in on," he said, as he kept advancing, while she kept backing away._

 _"No...you want to make sure I don't tell anyone you just murdered someone! And you want to do things to me that a father should never do to his daughter," she spat._

 _"Mary...you belong by my side, just as your mother did. Is it so wrong for a father to love his daughter so much as I do?" he questioned._

 _"Yes!" she said hotly._

 _"Fathers are not supposed to love their daughters this way," she protested._

 _"I am Leopold Blanchard, practically King of Seattle. You know that no one tells me no…" he warned, as she kept backing away._

 _"I always have what I want," he added and in a moment of pure clarity, she stopped seeing her father and saw a monster instead. It would be the thing that saved her that night, as she picked up a lamp and broke it over his head._

* * *

That had led her fleeing to Hyperion Heights and directly to her friend's bar. Roni had promptly drove her to the police station in Hyperion Heights where she met Detective Rogers and his rookie detective partner that would become her husband and the father of her baby.

* * *

 _"Yes...you are still in a lot of danger, Miss Blanchard. If your father gets his hands on you again, I daresay he'll either kill you for knowing too much or worse things I'm sure none of us want to think about," Weaver said bluntly. She swallowed thickly at that._

 _"Then what do you suggest?" she asked._

 _"You are definitely the key to bringing down your father and luckily, I'm going to put my two best detectives on it," Weaver replied._

 _"While Rogers is investigating him and trying to turn up a body...Nolan will be moving you into witness protection," he said. She looked at Nolan and then back at Weaver._

 _"So I'm getting a babysitter," she realized._

 _"I'm not a babysitter," he snapped in return, as they stared at each other._

 _"I have a safe house in Oregon. You both leave tonight," Weaver said._

* * *

And the rest was history. She had fallen in love with her protector and they escaped to new lives with new identities. They made new friends and were a family. None of their new friends had any inkling of her past or who her powerful father was. And she prayed that it stayed that way. If she had her way, she'd never have to see her evil father again and they could stay in this wonderful town and raise their family. A family that would soon be growing, she thought, as she put a hand to her still flat abdomen. She hadn't told him yet, but planned to after they put Emma to bed tonight. He smiled at her from across the table, as Ruby picked up their plates.

"Thanks Rubes," Mary said.

"Three cocoas?" she asked and they nodded. Cocoa and a walk in the park on the way home would be the perfect ending to their already perfect evening.

* * *

Rogers rifled through the files on his desk, as he prepared to take a few home to read over that evening. He was about to leave to pick up Alice and peered into Weaver's office.

"Anything on the Leopold Blanchard front? You mentioned earlier that he was leaving town," Rogers replied. They were always leery when that happened, for there was fear that he may have found them. But Weaver shook his head.

"I just got the flight plan and his private jet just touched down in Los Angeles. Probably another lucrative business trip," Weaver responded. Rogers was relieved at that. He hated that Leopold Blanchard still got to conduct the day to day operations of his business, which they knew was full of illegal dealings; none of which they could prove. But at least he hadn't found David and Mary Margaret.

"Well...in that case, I'm out of here for the evening," he mentioned, as he made his way to his car to pick up his little starfish.

* * *

The commercial plane touched down in Portland, Maine late that night and Leopold disembarked at the airport. A car was waiting to take him to a five star hotel for the evening and then tomorrow, a rental car would be waiting for him. He would drive to this small town that his daughter was hidden away from him and he would finally see her again. By dinnertime tomorrow, he would find her and meet his granddaughter as well...


	5. Surprises

**Thanks for the great reviews! I'm happy to be getting back to regular updates on this one. Please keep leaving those reviews and here is individual responses:**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for the warning.**

 **sweetreader: Yep, unfortunately Leopold found them and is going to use some different tactics this time. Fiona could be...that remains to be seen. Glad you're liking it. :)**

 **TheInferno1536: Yes, Fiona will probably end up being Weaver's estranged mother.**

 **sexystarwarslover: Yep, unfortunately, Leopold found them and is going to see them. He is sick, but plans to employ some different tactics this time. Yeah, David is Graham's deputy and I like it too. Yep, they have some familiar friends now. I love KnightRook, so I thought it only fitting that I bring Alice into the picture. Yep, Leopold is pulling some underhanded stunts and he is a very bad man. The thing is, the people of Storybrooke don't know that and it will be important. Glad you like the flashbacks too. Leopold may have fooled Weaver for the moment, but that won't last. :)**

 **Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you think so. :)**

 **Grace5231973: Yeah, Leopold has the upper hand for the moment, but he won't fool Weaver for long. You'll see. ;)**

 **Austenphile: Yep, Leopold is on the way. Ugh is right. Fiona is acting weird. A curse AU? Hmm...it definitely could be. Or not. I may or may not have a few twists ahead. :)**

 **Beth1980: Yay! Thanks for the regular reviews. It's very much appreciated. Yep, that scene from Sister Act does kind of echo the scene where Mary Margaret walked in. Yeah, he's this polished business man that's well respected and is really a monster. Unfortunately, there's a lot of monsters walking in plain sight. Of course, it wouldn't be Snowing unless they admitted their love under duress, lol. Glad you like the little things from canon that I managed to poke in. Yeah, go with that bad feeling about Leopold. Yeah, a normal parent would be happy their child is happy and in a loving relationship, but not Leopold. Victoria and Leopold is a terrible match. Add Fiona and Cora and you have a nice worst parents ever club. Leopold probably knows about Roni. He probably is creepy enough to have his daughter followed. I love the holster jokes, I can't help myself. Yep, Emma is on the way! Glad you liked all the flashbacks. Rogers is just much easier to like than OG Hook. Yeah, knowing Weaver, he probably expected them to fall in love. Yeah, I kind of forgot about the med student she dated when I made Whale the doctor. But it didn't make much sense to have some random OC doctor in Storybrooke. Yep, Fiona is always trouble, no matter what the universe. I love KnightRook, so I knew i had to bring Alice in. I'm partial to David and Rogers. Graham is okay, but I don't have a lot of attachment to him. Yep, Leopold has found them and has some dirty tricks up his sleeve. Don't worry, I doubt he'll fool Weaver for long. :)**

Witness Protection

Chapter 5: Surprises

Mary Margaret leaned against the door frame with a dreamy look, as she listened to her husband sing to their daughter. David had a gorgeous voice and it was very soothing to Emma. And very sexy to Mary Margaret. Their daughter had been fighting sleep tonight and had extorted three bedtime stories from her father and a lullaby. She teased him about how he was such putty in her tiny hands. And he couldn't disagree. She was anxious on that night though, for she had something very special to reveal to him. So when Emma finally fell asleep, she felt the butterflies in her stomach and she eagerly kissed him once they were downstairs and behind the curtain where their bed was.

"Wow...someone is frisky tonight," he purred, as their lips parted and she bit her bottom lip.

"I am…" she agreed, as she unbuttoned his shirt and smoothed her hands along his bare chest.

"There's a bottle chilling in the fridge. Why don't you go get it and maybe I'll be wearing less clothes when you get back," she purred back. He grinned and kissed her again, as he hurried to the kitchen. He grabbed two wine glasses and opened the fridge. But instead of finding wine, he found a bottle of sparkling pear cider.

"Hey...you haven't drank any of this since…" he said, as he thought about it and trailed off. He looked back at her, his face filled with awe and hope. She had changed out of her clothes and into a maternity nightgown that she wasn't filling out yet, but he recognized it too. She nodded. He set the bottle and glasses down, before running toward her and sweeping her into his arms. She giggled, as he kissed her passionately.

"How far along?" he asked, as he carried her to bed, while kissing her again.

"Mmm...well, I've only taken a pregnancy test, but I have all the symptoms. I'm going to get it confirmed tomorrow afternoon after lunch. I was hoping my handsome husband will join me," she replied. He grinned kissed her again.

"Oh, there is nothing that could keep me away, my darling," he said, as he lay her on the bed.

"I never imagined being as happy as you've made me," she gushed. He smiled.

"Me either...but let's see if I can make us even happier," he replied, as they melted into each other.

* * *

Weaver walked into Roni's bar late that evening. He knew she was getting ready to close, but they were friends and she never turned him or Rogers away, even after she flipped the closed sign.

"I haven't seen you look this bothered since Leopold Blanchard bought his way out of that conviction last year," Roni said, as she dried some glassware.

"I need a drink," he said and she complied by pouring him some brandy.

"What's going on?" she questioned, as he downed the liquid.

"I always track Blanchard's travel and his private jet touched down in Los Angeles earlier tonight," he replied.

"Okaaay...and that's bad why?" she asked.

"It's bad, because he wasn't on it. I just had it verified by one of my rat bastard moles," he replied with distaste.

"And can you trust this rat bastard?" Roni asked.

"Not really...but he's easily bought. Trust me, Smee is well paid and said that Leopold Blanchard wasn't on that plane," Weaver replied, as he put a stack of pages on the counter.

"But I think he was on this one," Weaver said, as he showed her the page.

"United flight to Portland, Maine...Leo White?" she asked in disbelief.

"He thinks this alias won't raise any red flags with me, but he was still foolish enough to fly business first class," Weaver replied.

"You're sure?" she asked with trepidation. He nodded.

"It's what my gut is telling me," he confirmed.

"Portland is only an hour or so from Storybrooke…" she feared, as she picked up the phone.

"Don't…" he said.

"What do you mean? We need to warn Mary and David!" she exclaimed.

"If we warn them...they'll run and Blanchard will just come back here once the trail goes cold. But...if we play this right, we can catch him once and for all," Weaver said. Her eyes widened.

"You want to use Mary and David as bait for him to slip up?" she asked in disbelief.

"I don't like it either, but we could take Leopold Blanchard out if we play this right. I've already called Rogers and we're leaving for Maine tonight," he said.

"Then you better buy another ticket, because I'm going with you," she said, as she did a shot. He smirked.

"Already did. Go pack," he said, as she went to do so.

* * *

Leopold's rental, a luxury model of course, slowly drove past a sign that said "Welcome to Storybrooke." His first impression was about what he expected. A small, recluse town that held none of the prestige and fine living that he knew in Seattle. He almost rolled his eyes and wondered how his daughter could be happy in such a Podunk spot. No skyscrapers, fine restaurants, or five-star hotels. The tallest building was a clocktower that didn't even work, judging by the time of eight-fifteen on the clock face. And there were a few generic eateries, including a diner, and one Inn of all things. It was incredibly disappointing that his daughter had settled for this, but he knew he had to play this right. If she saw him first, she'd run to her husband and they would be in the wind again, before he could blink. But if he could endear himself to her new friends, she couldn't reject him without making a spectacle.

He was almost certain that none of her new friends knew anything about her real past and any hostility toward him wouldn't make a lot of sense. Yes...it was high time that he and his daughter finally talked and he was certain this would make it happen. Only when the time was exactly right would he bring her and his granddaughter back under his control. And do away with her cop husband.

He started the morning by renting a room at the Inn and endearing himself to the elderly woman that owned it. He told her he was here to surprise his daughter and see his precious granddaughter. Widow Lucas was excited by such and invited him over to the diner, telling him that _Margaret_ , her husband, and the baby were frequent customers. He agreed that it would be the perfect place for his "surprise".

* * *

Mary Margaret awoke that morning and realized she had slept in. But she wasn't worried, for it was Saturday and she was looking forward to spending the day with her baby. She turned over, finding her husband's spot empty, but he wasn't far and she spied him buttoning up his shirt.

"Good morning," she cooed. He smiled.

"Good morning to you too, beautiful," he replied, as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"Early patrol?" she asked.

"Yeah, I promised Graham I would, but I'll meet you and Em for lunch at the diner. Then we'll go to the hospital for your appointment," he replied excitedly. She smiled.

"That sounds great," she agreed, as she heard Emma in the living room, as she laughed at the cartoon on television. It was one of the sweetest sounds in the world and soon they would have two of those precious sounds.

"She's eating her Cheerios and I've still got a few minutes if you want to shower quick," he said.

"Thanks baby," she said, as she got up and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

"I got here as soon as I could, but I still don't have a sitter that can stay with Alice for more than a few hours," Rogers said, as he burst into Roni's bar early that morning.

"It's okay...we'll bring her with us," Weaver responded.

"I can watch her when needed," Roni confirmed, as he saw a redhead, also with a toddler, behind the bar.

"You better be going if you're going to make your plane," Zelena urged, as she stood behind the bar.

"Thanks for doing this, Zelena," Roni said.

"No problem, sis...now go," she said, in annoyance.

"Bye bye Robin…" Roni said, as she kissed her niece and then took Alice from Rogers, while he proceeded to load their bags into Weaver's car, before they took off for the airport.

* * *

Mary Margaret pushed Emma in the stroller, along Main Street. She gave nods and returned friendly waves, as she passed people. She loved her new home and their quiet life. She loved walking down the street and how everyone knew her. Many stopped to dote on Emma a bit and exchange pleasantries. Honestly, Mary Margaret thought places like this only existed in Hallmark movies.

She stopped at a few shops, bought Emma a few things, as she was growing so fast and then quietly gushed over all the baby stuff. She had so much fun with it the first time around that she knew it would be the same this time.

But when she walked into the diner, reality slammed into her again and reminded her that this wasn't a movie and that her quiet life was really one in witness protection. And she had been found.

"Oh Margaret...you're here! Surprise!" Ruby and Granny exclaimed, as they gestured to her father, who sat calmly in a booth, sipping at some coffee. But she was anything but calm. There was a raging storm inside her and she plucked Emma up out of the stroller.

"What...what are you doing here?" she questioned. He smirked.

"Just visiting my beautiful daughter and my equally lovely granddaughter. Your wonderful friends were very excited to help me keep my surprise under wraps," he replied in an even tone. Mary Margaret looked at her friends and they looked excited for her. But then why wouldn't they? They really had no idea about her past and just who her father was, let alone what he had done.

"I got you a hot cocoa with cinnamon and I can fill Emma's sippy cup with milk if you want?" Red offered.

"Um...sure, thanks Ruby," Mary Margaret said, distractedly, as she handed her the sippy cup and shifted her daughter in her arms. Emma whimpered, as she sensed her mother's unease.

"Sit down, girl...and I'll get an order started for you. Will David be joining you?" Granny asked.

"Yes...David should be here any minute," Mary Margaret replied, as she looked her father in the eyes. Not aware of her stress, Granny bustled off to the kitchen, while Ruby returned with a sippy cup of milk for Emma, before leaving father and daughter to talk.

"How did you find us?" she demanded to know.

"It wasn't easy...this town isn't even on some maps. Which is why I'm sure your friend Captain Weaver chose it," Leopold replied.

"And what exactly are you trying to do by acting like you're some loving, doting father to my friends?" she hissed.

"I was those things, my dear...until you ran away and told the Police all those things about me," he responded.

"I told them the truth...that you are a monster and just being near you again makes my skin crawl," she hissed in return.

"Please Mary...I came to make amends,"

"Amends?!" she hissed.

"You tried to have my husband killed, on more than one occasion!" she continued, still speaking quietly enough so as not to cause a panic.

"But I came myself this time. I want to put this messy business between us to rest," Leopold claimed.

"I walked in on your killing someone and then you tried to assault me," she reminded.

"And I am asking for your forgiveness. I want to be in your life again...and my granddaughter's life as well," he stated. But she didn't buy it and got up from the table.

"Don't walk away from me, Mary...you and your husband will not make it very far if you run this time," he warned. And she looked at him in alarm.

"Have you done something to David?" she questioned, but she sighed in relief, as David walked into the diner at that moment.

"David…" she whimpered, as he saw her father sitting in the booth and his eyes widened. He was by her side in an instant and touched the handcuffs on his belt, just as Granny brought plates of food out.

"Here we are...lunch for this little family reunion. Enjoy," she said.

"Yes...let's sit down and have a family meal together. I assure you that you want to hear what I have to say," Leopold stated calmly. David looked at her and she nodded reluctantly to him, conveying everything to him with her expression. He put a hand on the small of her back and they slid into the booth across from him.

"If you're here to try and take my family from me, then you're in for one hell of a fight that I promise you'll lose," David stated firmly. Leopold smirked in amusement.

"I'm not here to take anything, Detective. Oh, I'm sorry...I guess it's Deputy now," the older man responded.

"Then why are you here?" David asked.

"To put this family back together," Leopold claimed. But neither of them bought that for a second, but they did know that simply running at this point would be ill advised. Leopold likely had people waiting for them to do so and in this instance, staying put was actually safer. No, they had to play this just right until he could contact Weaver and Rogers. And also very publicly. Their new friends had no idea what Leopold was really like and David sensed that the older man wanted to keep his past under wraps for now. That meant they would have to play nice too in order to keep this from escalating to a bad place. So that's what they would do...for now. No more running. This was their home and he was tired of this man looming over them. They would stand against him once and for all and by the end, he was determined that Leopold Blanchard would be going to prison for the rest of his life...


	6. Final Stand

**Thanks for the great reviews! I have actually finished this verse. There wasn't a lot of places for it to go and made the decision to bring this one to a close since I have so many. This is the final regular chapter and then I will be posting the epilogue tomorrow night. I really have enjoyed this little verse, but it was never meant to be too long. So I hope everyone has enjoyed it and please leave some feedback! Here are individual responses:**

 **Naomi Blue: Yep, Weaver is definitely onto Leopold and knowing him, he probably has a plan. Glad you're enjoying it. :)**

 **BooksinmyDreams: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. :)**

 **Boris Yeltsin: Glad you love it. :)**

 **Jennifer Baratta: Thanks! Glad you are enjoying it so much!**

 **Grace5231973: Yep, Weaver is on to Leopold in more ways than one, as you will see. Yeah, that was a dumb alias, but he's arrogant as hell so he thinks he can fool anyone and he's untouchable. He's about to find out how wrong he is. *cue the evil laughter* :)**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yep, it's about to get even more intense. I know, Josh singing is always swoon worthy. Yep, Emma has him wrapped around her pinky already. Yep, Weaver is definitely onto him, which is good. The action is about to get kicked up a notch. :)**

 **Bwayrox: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. I have struggled with direction for this one, but had a satisfying ending in mind and decided that it was time to bring this one to a close. I hope you enjoy. Yeah, the action is about to be kicked up a notch. :)**

 **AnonSnowing: I love where they get to raise Emma too. I think that's why most of my fics end up having them do so in some fashion. But Leopold is big trouble. Fortunately, Weaver is onto him. I love the Snowing cuteness too. I can tell you they actually aren't cursed here. It's a modern AU. I toyed with the idea of that kind of twist, but ultimately decided against it. :)**

 **foxchic1: Glad you're enjoying it!**

 **TheInferno1536: Because that really doesn't make for a very exciting story. That would be kind of boring, don't you think? And anyhow, Leopold's crimes were committed in Seattle so David is out of that jurisdiction and it's not a crime to come to a town. He would have to prove stalking and one lunch with him isn't going to do that. The law is rarely on the side of the victim in the cases of stalking. Seriously, look it up. Stalking is a very hard crime to prove.**

 **gaby2019: There is another chapter. Two more actually and this one is over. I don't always get as many updates as I'd like. Busy life and a lot of other stories. Less free time than I'd like, but that's life. :)**

Witness Protection

Chapter 6: Final Stand

David's face was stony, as he stared at the monster across from them. He had a lot of nerve, expecting them to be in the same room with him, let alone break bread.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you let alone kill you right here on the spot?" David questioned. Leopold smirked.

"I am not wanted for any crimes," the old man refuted.

"That we can prove...yet," David hissed in return. Leopold chuckled.

"There will never be anything to prove, Deputy. I warn you to stop this pursuit to send me to jail," he leered.

"Don't you dare threaten him…" Snow hissed at him.

"Living so far apart is not what I wanted for us at all, Mary. It's time for you to come home. And since your husband has a certain set of skills, I can even offer him a very lucrative position in my security team," Leopold said.

"Hard pass," David refuted.

"I will never put myself or my family under the same roof as you ever again. We want no part of the evil Empire you've built," Mary said with vehemence.

"Your defiance is tiresome, my dear. I encourage you to not force my hand," he warned.

"Stop making threats. This meeting is over," David said, as they stood up and he ushered his wife out. She hurriedly pushed the stroller out and she waited until they rounded the corner for the tears to start.

"We're never going to be safe from him," she sobbed, as he took her in his arms.

"Yes we are...he's not forcing us from our home this time," he assured, as he held her. But she shook her head.

"Oh David...I want to believe that. But you know him. He probably has his goons ready to move in on this town with one phone call," she cried. He wished that he could refute that claim, but he knew she was right.

"You're right...let's go pack a few things and maybe we can be in the wind before he can send them after us," he agreed, as they hurried home.

"Okay sweetheart...let's get you changed into a better outfit for traveling," she cooed, as she put their daughter on the bed, while he was hastily packing the essentials for them and their toddler.

"We're going to go on a trip, sweetheart. But you don't have to worry, because we'll be together," she added, as she finished changing her and then bundled her up again.

"Mama…where are we going? I like it here," Emma whimpered.

"Oh, I know sweetie...I wish it didn't have to be this way. There's a very bad man after us, but you don't have to worry, because mommy and daddy will protect you," she assured, as he sighed. He hated this. He hated that they had to run, because of Leopold again.

"I'm going to confront him. This has to end," he said.

"David...no! He'll have his men kill you!" she cried, as she rushed to his side.

"I can't lose you," she pleaded and he sighed, as he kissed her passionately.

"We may never be able to stop running if we don't take a stand," he reminded. But she shook her head.

"If running means that we're together, then we run," she said, as they grabbed a few bags and prepared to leave. But were stopped dead in their tracks when Leopold appeared in their doorway, along with two of his goons that she recognized as Rivers and Carny.

"I'm afraid your running days are over, my dear," he said.

"I gave you a chance to come home, but now you have forced my hand," he added, as he motioned to the two men, who brandished their weapons and held them on the little family.

"Please don't do this…" Mary Margaret pleaded.

"You have left me no choice," Leopold said, as they were led outside.

"The woods should do, Sir. There's plenty of cliffs we can toss his body off," Rivers said, as he pressed the barrel of his gun against David's head.

"No...please! I'll do anything! Just please don't kill him," Mary Margaret sobbed, as her father grabbed her arm roughly.

"March him toward the woods. Let's get rid of him and then we will return to Seattle where we belong, daughter," he said, as they walked in silence for a while, with the only sound being the crunching leaves beneath their feet and the sounds of Mary Margaret and Emma's sobs.

"Mary Margaret…" David called back to her, as Rivers roughly moved him forward.

"David…" she called, as Emma started crying harder and her father had a vice-like grip on her arm.

"I love you...and I love Emma," he said.

"I love you...father, please don't do this!" she begged.

"I have been patient with you, Mary...but your constant defiance has led to this," he hissed, as he brought her face close to his.

"You are mine, daughter...and it's time you take your place by my side," he growled.

"The hell she is," David growled, as he shoved Rivers away and grabbed her hand, as he took off into the woods. She yelped, as bullets rang out, sailing around them and Emma wailed now in fright. David pulled her along, but then stopped when he found none other than Mayor Fiona Gold in their way, along with more of her father's men.

"I'm afraid that it's the end of the line for this charming little family," she cooed.

"You...you're the reason he knew where to find us, aren't you?" Mary accused. She smiled smugly.

"Sorry dear...but I did my research on you the moment you stepped into my town. Your don't belong here and it's time you leave," she said, as Leopold and the other two caught up to them.

"There's a cliff side nearby. Shoot him and then you can be on your way," she stated, as Rivers and Carny began to march him toward the cliff.

"NO! Please...you can't take him from me!" Mary screamed, as she tore away from her father and hurried after them, but his men blocked her way. Leopold grabbed her arm and she yelped, as he slapped her face.

"You will learn your place, Mary…" he growled, as he held her arms and looked at her.

"Oh yes...you will learn your place," he leered and she spit in his face at that.

"Any final goodbyes...because now is the time," Rivers said, as he aimed the gun at David, as they arrived at the cliff. He would be shot and then his body would fall into the river, probably never to be found.

"The day I met you was the best day of my life. I love you so much...and I love our children," he said, as a few tears slipped down his cheeks.

"You're going to lose your life for me," she sobbed.

"It would have been better if you had never met me," she said. But he shook his head.

"No...my life became complete, because of you. You're worth all this and more, you and our babies," he said tearfully, as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"If I lose my life for love...well, I can think of no better reason to die. I just regret that I won't be there to protect you anymore," he replied.

"I love you...I'll love you for eternity. And I'll find you...I'll find you in our next life or whatever is after this one," she promised. He smiled.

"I know you will...and I'll be waiting for you," he said, as he prepared to take his final breath once he heard the gun cock. But several shots rang out, before David could be shot. Rivers and Carny fell dead to the the ground. The five other goons with them sprayed bullets into the woods from where the sniper shots had come from. David wasted no time and grabbed one of the guns and picked off three more, while holding his weapon on Leopold and Fiona. The last two went down, as Rogers and Weaver emerged from the woods.

"You two really like to wait until the very last minute," David quipped, as he saw that Leopold still had a firm grip on his wife's arm.

"Stay back…" he warned.

"Let her go, you sick bastard," David growled.

"You won't dare shoot me now...not while I have her," Leopold said, as he brandished his own gun.

"Let's go, my dear...our car is waiting," he said, as he started to move away from them. Suddenly...he heard a growling and Mary tore away from him, just as a wolf came out of nowhere and began to maul her father. Mary gasped and turned away from the carnage, as the wolf proceeded to rip him apart.

"It's about time you got here," David said, as he shielded her and Emma from the sight. Graham smirked and whistled, calling the animal back to him.

"Even I noticed when a bunch of goons dressed in black are moving around town," he drawled, as he proceeded to hug them both. Mary gently peeked around her husband and saw that her father was still alive, bloodied and mangled, as he tried to get to his feet. She gasped, as she saw him crawling toward Carny's discarded gun.

"David!" she cried, as he grasped at in a last attempt to shoot her husband, but Weaver was quicker and pumped three bullets into his chest. Leopold fell back and off the cliff side, into the river. She felt herself breathing a sigh of relief at that, as horrible as it was, but considering all the things he was about to do, she decided that she was entitled to that relief.

"It's over, my darling…" he promised, as Rogers hurried over to them.

"Good to see you both are okay," he said, in relief, as he hugged them both.

"It's good to see you too...how's Alice?" Mary asked. He smiled.

"You can see for yourself. She and Roni are back at the diner," he told her, as they watched Graham cuff the Mayor.

"You are under arrest, Mayor Gold," he announced.

"You set this up," she spat at Weaver.

"I knew when I sent them here that you'd spill the secret to Leopold. You both fell for it all, hook, line, and sinker," he said, in a pleased tone.

"Wait...you planned all of this?" David asked incredulously. Rogers snorted.

"Of course you did," he deadpanned.

"Relax...you were never in as much danger as it seemed, but I couldn't let anyone else in on it if it was going to work," he assured.

"Well played, my son…" Fiona complimented.

"The district attorney will have me out in no time, though," she added.

"Wrong mother...I have enough to make sure you go away for life. The whole case is already on the way to Augusta and the police department there will be here in the morning to escort you to prison upstate for trial. I doubt it will go your way," Weaver responded.

"Wait...she's your mother?!" David exclaimed.

"How is that? She looks younger than you," Rogers added.

"Nevermind...let's get this little one and our mother-to-be back to town. Roni is probably pacing a hole in the floor of that little diner," Weaver said, as they followed him, just as his cleanup crew arrived to take care of the bodies. It was mind boggling and surreal, but it was all over now, for good. David and Mary smiled at each other, as they realized there would be no more running in their future. Just happiness and family now that the shadow of her evil father was no longer hanging over them.

"I love you…" she sniffed, as he held her close to his side as they walked. Emma was calm again and falling asleep in her father's arms.

"I love you too, my darling," he whispered, as they shared a tender kiss

"Oh my God...there you are!" Roni cried, as they entered the diner. Mary rushed to her and they shared a tight hug.

"I've missed you," Mary confessed. Roni sniffed.

"I've missed you too," she replied, as Alice ran to her father.

"Papa!" she called, as she toddled to her father and he swept her up.

"Hello starfish," he cooed, as he cuddled her.

"Well, I'm not sure what happened out there, but I sense it was quite an ordeal. I hear our town has been saved though, so dinner is on the house while you tell me the whole story," Granny announced, as they found a large table and sat down together. It felt like family again and she smiled, as Roni took Emma from her, finally meeting her properly for the first time. They sat down together and for the first time since they had left Seattle, Mary and David felt true relief. They were safe now and they were going to stay that way, for the threat hanging over them was lifted at last. Now, they could just simply be a family and in love. She rested her head against his shoulder, as they ate and drank happily with the people they considered family, including their new friends they had made in Storybrooke. This was home now and they would never have to run from it again...


	7. Epilogue

**Thanks for the great reviews! I have actually finished this verse. There wasn't a lot of places for it to go and I made the decision to bring this one to a close since I have so many. So here is the epilogue. I really have enjoyed this little verse, but it was never meant to be too long. So I hope everyone has enjoyed it and please leave some feedback! Here are individual responses:**

 **Noami Blue: Yep, in true Weaver fashion, he really came through in the end. Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **AnonSnowing: Yeah, me too. I did toy with the idea of it being a cursed verse, but liked the modern AU better. As for other stories, Love in a Ruined World probably only has a couple chapters left. I have a clear ending in mind for that one. The Convenience of Love has probably quite a few chapters left, but probably won't be much longer than 10-15 chapters at most. Mysterious Fathoms below has at least a few left, haven't really decided there yet. Swan has a ton of potential so I can't say on that one. A Darker Curse will probably be longer than all of them, but probably no where near as long as my epics. Yep, no more running. They're getting their happy beginning. :)**

 **BooksinmyDreams: So glad you liked it!**

 **Beth1980: yep another baby snowflake! Yep, Smee the rat. Seemed appropriate. Yeah, it might be dicey, but Weaver's plans are usually pretty well thought out. Yep, I had to include little Robin. I know, 6 was nerve wracking. Yep, that's true to Snow and David. She wants to run and he wants to fight. Leopold got mauled by a wolf and then shot and fell off a cliff so no need for a trial. In a modern AU, I'm just going to say that she looks younger cause plastic surgery? Your question on where they settle is answered in the epilogue. :)**

 **Sexystarwarslover: Yep, goodbye Leopold. No one will miss you. Yep, things went from bad to worse in like two minutes. It was nerve wracking there for a minute, but everyone came to the rescue. Yeah, I struggled with whether to end it or not. I love this verse, but there's not a lot of places for it to go, so it's ending, but I think it's a satisfying end. :)**

 **Grace5231973: I'm a little sad to see it end too, but I think I came to a satisfying end with it. Haha, she's Weaver's mom cause plastic surgery maybe? LOL.**

Witness Protection

Epilogue

It had been one year since Leopold had been killed in his attempt to rip their family apart and much had changed.

Weaver had minced no words to the press when he announced the business mogul's death and exposed his dastardly deeds. The media circus around his death and Mary Margaret's final liberation from her father had been exhausting and highly intrusive for a while. They had avoided most interviews and dodged reporters for several months, only giving sound bites that they were just glad to be together as a family and that her evil father could never hurt them again. The media craze eventually died down and Leopold Blanchard's dirty secrets came out, including all his dirty business dealings, the people he had ordered killed, and his sick obsession with his own daughter. His empire collapsed and after all his assets were liquidated by the bank, Mary inherited what was left.

At first, she wanted nothing to do with the small fortune, but after they thought it through, they decided that it was rightfully hers, especially since much of it had been built upon by her mother's fortune, as it had started out as her company. So they put most of it away for their children's college funds and bought a nice two story house in Storybrooke with a big yard. They had also adopted a family dog from the shelter and named him Wilby.

She continued teaching at the elementary school, while David was promoted to Sheriff upon Graham's decision to resign. He had decided to follow his true calling and run Storybrooke's animal shelter.

David didn't have to look far for his new deputy, as Rogers had decided that he really liked how perfect and quiet Storybrooke was as a rule. He had resigned his position in the Seattle police department and moved himself and Alice across the country. They settled in the loft once David and Mary Margaret found their house and had never been happier.

Weaver himself would have been sad to lose his two best detectives, but now that his mission to bring down Leopold Blanchard was complete, he himself had given in to the lure of Storybrooke. Or it might have been that he had been drawn to the brunette librarian he had met during his first visit to the quiet town. The library was struggling and Belle French feared that it would close. Until Weaver cashed in his pension, bought it, and handed the deed over to her with no strings attached. He had moved to Storybrooke, bought the old pawn shop, and enjoyed his new, lucrative line of work. But more so, he enjoyed dating Belle most.

Not to be outdone, Roni had sold the bar and moved across the country too and when the people became displeased with their interim Mayor, the Mayor's former mouthpiece and snake in the grass, Sidney Glass, many had urged Roni to run against him for Mayor. Mary Margaret encouraged her the most and with all her friends behind her, she had and won the race in a landslide victory.

It wasn't long before Zelena and her young daughter followed suit and bought a farmhouse on the outskirts of town.

Fiona Gold had gone to trial for conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and other felonies that she was involved in as Mayor, including money laundering of the town's funds, which Weaver had suspected for years. It was exposed that she had used town funds for expensive beauty treatments and a lavish lifestyle. She was given a twenty-five year sentence with no early parole, so she likely would never be bothering any of them again.

Nine months after Leopold's death and they had all settled into Storybrooke, their family grew by one when Mary Margaret gave birth to hers and David's second child, their son, Jason James Nolan, or as they had affectionately dubbed him, JJ. Since Roni and Rogers were Emma's Godparents, they had decided that Weaver and Belle would be JJ's, which they humbly and graciously accepted. It had truly been an extraordinary year and they were all now living their best lives.

"That's very good," Mary said, as she walked around her classroom, observing her students working on their assignment. She had asked them to draw what would be their ideal happy endings. Some were drawing fantastical things, while others drew more realistic options. But as she discovered, no matter what life brought, happy endings weren't always what they were thought to be. And it was in the best way. She could have never predicted she be as happy as she was or that the man assigned to protect her just a few years ago would be that happy ending. And it wasn't even really an ending, for this was only the beginning of their happy life. They were so in love and had two beautiful children. Storybrooke provided a simple, quiet life and neither of them could be happier with it.

The bell rang and her students filed out for the day, as she spied her husband leaning up against the doorway, his Sheriff's badge displayed on his hip and he was wearing his leather jacket. She was sure that no man had ever made leaning against a door look so sexy.

"Hey there handsome," she said, as she greeted him with a kiss.

"Hey yourself, beautiful," he purred in response, as he kissed her again.

"You ready?" he asked. She nodded.

"I am...let's go get our babies," she replied, as they left to the school together, hand in hand.

They stopped at Ashley Herman's daycare and picked up their toddler and baby from her, before continuing on down the street with the baby in the stroller and Emma trotting beside them.

"Aunt Mary, Uncle David!" Alice called, as she came running toward them, ahead of Roni and Rogers. David lifted her up and Mary kissed her head.

"Hey there peanut," he greeted, as he kissed her hair too and then put her down, as she trotted alongside the stroller, as she and Emma chatted animatedly.

"What a day...I swear, I would give anything to get another lawyer to run against Spencer for district attorney. My whole afternoon was spent arguing with that dumbass," Roni complained.

"But you do love to argue, love," Rogers quipped.

"Not with him," she said.

"Well, there are rumors that Sean Herman's dad is thinking about running against him," Mary interjected.

"Good...he has my full endorsement. Now, if I could just get rid of Judge Frollo, this town's justice system won't be a joke," she said.

"Slowly but surely...we're cleaning up this town. Fiona and her cronies did a lot of damage over the years," David said.

"Yes...but thankfully, mother dearest is no longer a problem," Weaver chimed in, as he and Belle met them outside Granny's diner. Now that they were all together, they proceeded inside and were met with all their new friends. They enjoyed food and drink with their friends and watched their children play.

Later that evening, as Emma and JJ were occupied by Granny and some of their other friends, David and Mary Margaret took that moment to enjoy a dance together as a slow, romantic song began to play on the jukebox. She gazed up at him with a dreamy stare, as they slowly swayed together.

"What are you thinking?" she inquired curiously. He smiled at her.

"About the night we met and everything we've been through since then. It's all been worth it for this moment," he answered. She hummed in agreement.

"It has...I'm so happy," she told him.

"Me too," he said, as they looked over at their precious children. They were getting sleepy and so he took that as a queue.

"What do you say we take the kids home and then we do some more celebrating...alone," he suggested. She grinned and bit her bottom lip.

"I'd say that sounds like the best idea I've heard all day," she said, as they joined hands and gathered their children up. They said goodbye to their friends for the evening and headed off for home. A home they would never have to run from again...


End file.
